Xpeters



".TloI-iNgAnLEN, oFNEw YoRKyN. Y.

` Specification of Letters `l'atent o: 12,473, `dated livlarch` 6, 1855;

Taazzwhomamay f lBe it known that `Joran ALLnNyof the city, county, and Stateof- NewA` York, have `invented an ImprovedLife-Boat; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, "clear, and exact description of the same, ref- `l erence being had to thefacfcompanying drawings, forming part"` of this specification, in [wh l e101* lohn-'M N 1 Figure 1, isa side view of the frameo-f `improved boat; collapsed for stowage. *1Fig.y2, is 1a longitudinalcentralsection of the boat extended for use, and Fig. 3, is a transversesection ofthe same. e I

` `Similar letters of reference indicate cor- `tresponding partsin the several figures.

This invention consists ina vessel composed of india-rubber or some flexible material secured toa frame of suchtconstruc- `tion, as to keep it properly extended, said vesselbeing capable-of` being entirely closed at pleasure so as to perfectly exclude the water and protect thepassengers within, and beingffurnished with an inlet and outlet valve, and suitable pipes through which `pure air is admitted and foul air discharged simply by the wateracting upon its flexible sides to reduce and enlarge `its inner capacity and make it operate likea bellows pump.

ageforcextended for service, and the tight- 11ness` of the flexible sidescan be Vproperly "regulated to giveit efficiency l as a pump to jsupply itself withair. n 1

. l To enable thoseskilled in the art to make `1` 0` `and use my inventionIwwill proceed to describe its construction and operat-ion.

The principal portion of the frame cony sists of a central shaft composed of two metal tubes A, A, connected by a right and left handed screw B,so as to be readily extended or contracted lengthwise. -The tubes A,IA, have at theirfarthest ends, heads or i `disksa, 0 to which are attached a number e of ribs b," b, ofusome flexible wood or other materialyeach rib extending from one to the other of the said heads or disks and beling connected theretoby hinges or their "equivalents Outside these ribs is placed the` waterproof covering'E, of india-rubber or other flexiblematerial which laps over the x foutside ofthe heads la, a, and issecured ,UNTED y thereto by plates` c, c," boltedfto the said l heads or disks.

when it is desired to stow awayI the boat;

but by shortening the shaft and drawing the heads a, a, nearer together, the ribs may be curved to any desireddegree to give `any required' bilge or beam to the vessel.

The interior ofthe vessel may be reachedby a manhole of suitable size, but I propose to` make it capable of lopening the whole length in fair Weather, `by dividing the covering longitudinally, and attaching its edges to' two ribs b', b2, which are attached to the heads by pivots e, e, one in each head, upon which pivots they are capable 0f swinging aside in opposite directions as shown in red outlines in Fig. '2, and passing within the contiguous ribs on either side. lVhen the vessel is to be closed up watertight the rib b', lits `over the rib b2, as shown in black* outline in Fig. 2. The joint is made By turning the screw B,- to lengthen the centralshaft the ribs Z b, f `may be caused to lie parallel with the shaft,

tight by a strong packingl of india-rubber which is secured to one rib, and the whole made secure by suitable bolts or fastenings which I have not thought it necessary to show. Y y

The vessel may be kept right side uppermost by weights secured to the lowest ribs. Iy propose however to apply the inlet and outlet air pipes f, and g, in such a way that their weight shall in some measure tend to keep the vessel in the right position, to wit by passingthem through stufling boxes h, and i, in the heads on that side of the central shaft which I intend to be below. These `pipes may be bent upward outside the vessel andeach kept in its proper position by a suspended weight lc. The pipes may, however, be flexible and have floats attached to their ends to keep their mouths above water. They will of course be provided with inlet and outlet valves f', and g', like the suction and discharge pipes of a common pump. l e

A boat constructed on this principle large enough to` contain a great number of passengers with, water, provisions, stores, &c., for several days voyagemay be stowed away in a very small compass. In fair weather it would be better to open it; but

`in rough weather all should be shut in closely, when the waves striking its flexible pumping action and thereby supply fresh air to and discharge vitiated air from the 15 interior.

2. I claim the construction of the frame substantially as herein set forth, of the two tubes A, A, and right and left handed screw B, and the longitudinal ribs b, b, all com- 20 bined and operating as described.

y JOHN ALLEN. Witnesses z J. W. CooMBs, J. G. MASON. 

